Director, Chief Meet On Asd Smoking Ban

August 24, 1985|by DAN PEARSON, The Morning Call

Acting in behalf of concerned residents, Allentown School Board member Alton W. Frey Jr. met with Allentown Police Chief David Howells yesterday about enforcing the school district's total ban of tobacco use on district property.

"The chief assured me that the Allentown Police Department will do everything humanly and legally possible to assist ASD in enforcing the prohibition of student smoking on school property by patroling the neighborhoods adjacent to Allen and Dieruff high schools, and make sure that the new policy will have no adverse impact on the residents," said Frey, following the afternoon meeting.

"Chief Howells further assured me that students would not be permitted to congregate or loiter on neighborhood property adjacent to both schools," he added.

Frey, an Allentown resident who is assistant principal of Upper Perkiomen High School, made the promise to confer with Howells shortly before the total ban was approved 8-0 by the school board Thursday night. He said he would report the chief's response to William Weber, a resident of 17th Street across from Allen High, who feared that more students than ever would cross the street and smoke on private property on the east side of 17th Street.

"I informed Mr. Weber of Howell's assurance. He was very elated and appreciative of the time that I took to talk to the police chief," Frey reported.

Weber was joined by neighbor David Bockstanz Thursday night in expressing concerns about the ban that will eliminate the student smokers' "patio" at Dieruff and the courtyard at Allen High unofficially dubbed "Cancer Court."

Bockstanz said that Allen students already sit on the stoops of houses along 17th street and smoke and worried that the practice may become worse. He raised questions of trespassing, graffiti and loitering.

Allentown police specifically can enforce the loitering ordinance to correct that problem, when and where it arises.